Jesse Myers said his top off-season priority was finding a goal-scorer. So far, it seems like the Rhinos coach is off to a good start. Rochester announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to terms with Blake Brettschneider, who played in 32 matches and started 19 the past two years in MLS with D.C. United and the New England Revolution. The 23-year-old from University of South Carolina standout (he was Conference USA’s co-MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 2010) is the second new frontrunner with MLS ties. Last week, the Rhino added Matt Luzunaris, who played briefly in MLS before scoring nine goals for Orlando (USL PRO) last year. Brettschneider trails only Rhinos captain Troy Roberts in terms of Rochester players with MLS games. Roberts had 61 with the L.A. Galaxy from 2005-08.

“He’s an athletic forward who has a nose for the goal,” Myers said of the 6-foot tall Brettschneider. “I’ve had the chance to talk with our MLS affiliate (New England) … about him as well as some other teams in Major League Soccer. The unanimous opinion is that he’s going to be a star player in our league.”

Brettschneider had two goals and an assist in 17 matches last year with New England, which certainly will keep its eye on him this summer. Myers mentioned the success last year in USL PRO of former MLS forwards Corey Hertzog (10 goals for Wilmington) and Bright Dike (six goals in seven matches for the L.A. Blues). Dike is back in Portland (MLS) and Hertzog has signed with Vancouver (MLS). “Blake is in Rochester looking to find a similar path back to MLS and I have every expectation that he will,” Myers said.

The Rhinos, who return the USL’s Defender of the Year in Roberts and Goalkeeper of the Year in Kristian Nicht, have struggled the past few years to find a forward with any consistent punch. “We just lacked the players to consistently get in behind the other team and stretch our opponents out,” said Myers, who is in Arizona with the Revs scouting players who could be loaned to Rochester in its new affiliation with the New England. “These two new signings along with the return of Kendell McFayden should solve that problem in 2013. We’re going to be scoring goals in Sahlen’s Stadium this summer.”

LANCERS STILL IN HUNT: Monday was do-or-die time for the Rochester Lancers and thanks to some great goalkeeping throughout and in particular the last 90 seconds by Gavin McInerney, they beat the Wichita Wings 11-10 to stay in the hunt for the MISL playoffs. They trail Chicago by a game for the fourth and final playoff spot and do own the tiebreaker (head-to-head matchups) with the Soul (9-14). Rochester (9-16) concludes its season on Sunday at 4 p.m. against defending league champion Milwaukee (18-3), a club it has never beaten, at Blue Cross Arena. The Wave is tied for first place with Baltimore (20-5). Pittsford’s Abby Wambach, the U.S. national team and WNY Flash star, will make her first public appearance since joining the Flash at the match and be the Lancers’ honorary captain. After Sunday, win or lose, the Lancers will play the waiting game. After a game Friday against Milwaukee, Chicago closes with home games next Wednesday against Missouri and March 1 against Syracuse. Wins in any of the Soul’s final three matches pretty much sink the Lancers.

BOUGHTON EARNS HONOR: Lancers midfielder Gary Boughton, who had two solid games on Saturday and Monday, and has been strong since returning from an injury, was named to the MISL Team of the Week. Here’s the release.

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Jeff DiVeronica has covered professional soccer and the Rhinos for the Democrat and Chronicle since the team's inception in 1996. "Devo's Direct Kicks" takes aim mostly at Rochester soccer, but will also highlight the USL, MLS and U.S. national team play. Devo, his nickname since college at St. John Fisher, also hosts two weekly radio shows each Saturday on WHTK-AM/FM (1280/107.3 or www.whtk.com). "Kick This!" (11 a.m.) features soccer talk, while the Canandaigua National Bank High School Sports Show (noon) covers Section V sports. E-mail Jeff at jdiveron@DemocratandChronicle.com.
Or follow him on Twitter: @RocDevo